The present invention relates to a holographic stereogram printing apparatus and a method for forming a holographic stereogram.
A holographic stereogram is formed using a plurality of images of an object which are taken sequentially from different viewing points as its original images, then recorded as hologram elements in the form of strips or dots on a single hologram recording medium.
For example, when forming a holographic stereogram having parallax information only in a horizontal direction, first of all, a plurality of images of an object 201 are sequentially taken from different viewing points in the horizontal direction to obtain a string of parallax images 202 having the plurality of images having horizontal parallax information, as shown in FIG. 14. Then, each image 203 which constitutes the string of the parallax images 202 is recorded sequentially and consecutively in the horizontal direction as a hologram element (element hologram) in a strip form on a hologram recording medium 200. Thereby, the holographic stereogram which has parallax information to the horizontal direction is obtained.
In this holographic stereogram, since each information of the plurality of images 203 taken sequentially from the different viewing points in the horizontal direction is recorded sequentially as the hologram element in the strip form consecutively in the horizontal direction, when a viewer observes this holographic stereogram with both eyes, each 2-dimensional image for each of the both eyes of the user to see appears different from each other. Thereby, the viewer perceives a parallax image, hence reproducing a 3-dimensional image. Heretofore, it has been considered for the hologram recording medium that it records only the 3-dimensional image.
At present, in order to reproduce a motion picture, it is necessary to have special equipment, such as a video player, a projector or the like, which includes electronic circuits. Therefore, it has been not so easy to carry a motion picture and reproduce it with this equipment. Further, when carrying a plurality of still pictures, it has been necessary to carry them as a plurality of photographs, printed images, or holding them in an album.
Further, it has been difficult to operate image-processing applications for printing a plurality of still pictures and for printing motion pictures on a same system.
Therefore, it has been desired to provide for a novel holographic stereogram printing apparatus and a method capable of performing various image processing selectively as desired by a user on a still image and/or a motion image entered by the user and printing a holographic stereogram accordingly.
A holographic stereogram printing apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention comprises: an image processing unit for generating a string of picture images after selectively performing an image processing onto a still picture image entered, and a viewing point processing onto the string of these picture images; an image storage unit for storing therein a processed picture image output from the above-mentioned image processing unit; and a printing unit for generating and printing a holographic stereogram in accordance with the processed picture image read out from the image storage unit.
A holographic stereogram printing apparatus according to another aspect of the present invention comprises: an image processing unit for generating a string of picture images after selectively performing an image processing to a motion picture image entered, and a viewing point conversion processing onto the string of picture images; an image storage unit for storing therein a processed picture image output from the above-mentioned image processing unit; and a printing unit for generating and printing a holographic stereogram in accordance with the processed picture image read from the image storage unit.
A holographic stereogram printing method according to an aspect of the present invention comprises: an image processing step of generating a string of picture images by selectively performing an image processing on a still picture image entered, and a viewing point conversion processing on the string of these picture images; an image storing step of storing in an image storage unit the picture image processed at the above-mentioned image processing step; and a printing step of producing a holographic stereogram in accordance with the processed image stored at the image storing step.
A holographic stereogram printing method according to another aspect of the present invention comprises: an image processing step of generating a string of picture images by selectively performing an image processing onto a motion picture image entered, and applying a viewing point conversion processing to the string of these picture images; an image storing step of storing the picture image processed at the image processing step; and a printing step of producing a holographic stereogram in accordance with the processed image stored in the image storing step.